Now, finally, now it is real. I really am done with grad school. I have hard-bound, Harvard crimson copies of my dissertation. Today I handed it in to the Harvard registrar and walked out feeling 30 pounds lighter. Of course, this sudden weight loss was somewhat offset by the 10 pounds I gained while writing the monstrous thing, but I digress. I thought I was a complete stud for squeezing out 232 pages… that was until I stood in line behind humanities students handing in massive tomes at least three times the thickness of my own. The thickness may have been different, but I suspect the content was similar – perhaps the significance on that one word on that one page of that one play? Somewhat reminiscent of my dissection of that one transcription factor binding site in that one promoter in that one virus. We all seemed to have majored in minutiae. [Aaaah, I now see that the dissertation has left my hands but the jadedness stayed behind. I hope that will fade soon too.]
David Whitlock brought up a good point a little while back. I have now been Anna comma PhD for three weeks, but have yet to change my profile on Nature Network. So, what is next for me and my comma? Great things, I am happy to report, great things. In the middle of next month, after submitting a couple manuscripts, attending a couple of weddings, and attempting to restore my apartment to its pre-dissertation-hurricane sheen, I will be joining Corie and crew for a six month-long internship at Nature Network. How cool is that? I am going to get paid to blog, write, and surf the net (among other things) which is frankly what I do all day anyway! I was born for this job.
I am beyond psyched. I will get to learn the behind-the-scenes geeky programming web-ware at Nature Network, moderate the forum discussions, and hopefully, help organize the blogger meet-up in London this August (leave all the worrying to me. I will see how much vodka Nature is willing to provide for this event). And after that? I don’t know. For once, the uncertainty of my future is not bothering me. I now have a comma PhD security blanket. There has got to be a lab somewhere in this world that will give me and my PhD shelter from the storm, if by chance the real world cannot.
Humanities students also take much, much longer for the actual writing part. Two or three years or something. And they don’t get that we’re in the lab all that time and don’t write until the very end. So, time-wise, I think we actually produce more pages per day of writing.
I’m jealous of your Nature Network internship! I wish there was a Nature Anything branch near me…
If I had to stretch my dissertation writing to a period of years I would hang myself. Really. It just wouldn’t happen. I cannot imagine anything more painful!
The NN internship is definitely dreamy. I am really lucky to be in a NN hub. Maybe there will be an NN Canada soon? Who is to say that you need to be in the office to do the job anyway? Maybe you could work remotely. Don’t need to be in an office to do online community management, right?. Just ask Bora!
Mmm vodka.
Anna, the internship sounds like a perfect job for you. I prefer rum to wodka, but I’m still looking forward to have a few drinks with you at the London meeting.
Eva, before you know it, there will be more local hubs in Nature Network, and why not Toronto?
Congrats! Mine is a Sambuca.
I stood in line behind humanities students handing in massive tomes at least three times the thickness of my own
It’s not the size, it’s the way you use it.
Spoken from personal experience, Henry?
This job sounds like heaven … for a while…
Richard – Mmm indeed. I think we need to organize a team NN shot when we are all there. As a team-building exercise, of course.
Martin – Thank you! Rum it is, and drinks will be had. I am very much looking forward to meeting all of my blog friends!
Massimo – Oh no. You are all on your own with the Sambuca. Eek.
Henry, you got burned. Really. Are you just going to let Brian get away with that?
(occasionally, I instigate :) )
Helen – Good point. All jobs are just jobs after a while. I hope this one holds out for a while.
Anna, now that you are
one of thema NN intern, perhaps you could get the Pub nights restarted.Good for you – the internship sounds like fun! Oh, and no shots here thanks, the results usually aren’t pretty. I’ll have a pint though.
Sounds fun! I’m jealous. A friend of mine did an intership at Nature NYC a couple of years ago and loved it. I missed out… I’m too old and jaded now! :D
I can speak for the Nature Network team to say that we’re all really excited to have Anna working with us.
I should also drop a not-so-subtle hint here that we found and decided to hire Anna as an intern because she was so active on NN and demonstrated good community-building skills.
(Anna, make sure you get a good rest/vacation become starting with us in a few weeks…we’ve got a lot of stuff for you to work on!) :)
David – One of them! Excellent. I have no problem with that. Funny you should mention the pub nights – they do fall under my jurisdiction as NN intern. I have a few things up my sleeve. Hope to see you at the next pub night!
Cath – It’s not about the results – it’s about the road that leads you there. Pints are more then welcome in my book.
Ian – I hope that jadedness is not a factor. Otherwise, I am in trouble.
Corie – I will be ready! No worries. Hope you have some patience to help with my introduction into the “real” world. I hear the process can be rather traumatic for recovering microbiologists and academic researchers :)